Grateful

 I received this an email, but after reading a friend's blog, I thought it might be worth posting this as an inspiration to better thinking for the new year.


Some of these don't apply to me, but they might apply to you....


I AM THANKFUL: 
FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. 


FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS. 


FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS. 


FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED. 



FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS. 


FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. 



FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE 



FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME. 


FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT 
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. 


FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION. 


FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM. 


FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR. 



FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. 



FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD. 



FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS 
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. 


 


Here's to positive thinking for 2011!

2010....A year in review...

In many ways, 2010 was good to my family.... in other ways, I can't wait for a new year and hopefully some better luck....and better health for Cameron...

In January--- we spent a lot of time with family, went sledding, hung out with friends, and Cameron battled the silly flu :(

February-- the colts went to the Superbowl (but lost *tear) and Cameron slipped on ice just before Valentine's Day, dislocated his knee cap, leaving him in a full leg brace.... I also began subbing and fell in love with a whole school of amazing kids...

March--- My parents and I traveled to Colorado for a few days to visit with my brother.... and we loved every minute of it! We're actually hoping for another trip again this year! :)

April-- I celebrated an amazing birthday with family and friends, Cam celebrated his bachelor party with ammunition (and came away unharmed thank goodness!!), a good friend got married, and we kicked our wedding planning into high gear! I started teaching an 8 week maternity and fell in love with some awesome kids.

May--- We met our awesome wedding photographers (on the same day that Cam managed to smash his hand in the trunk?!), my beautiful bridesmaids threw one hilarious bridal shower and an even funnier bachelorette party! My bridesmaids also began their fittings and alterations for their bridesmaid dresses, and Cameron and I went through "you know what" with our silly wedding invitations before finally getting everything the way we wanted them! haha   Some of our good friends got married, as well another couple finding out that they were expecting with their miracle baby.

June--- A very dear friend was diagnosed with a horrible disease that shook the whole community and she began a long battle that she is winning! Another amazing person lost his fight with the same horrible disease after becoming an inspiration to many people. After much stress, work, and unwanted drama, I finally married my best friend and honeymooned in a penthouse on the top floor of the hotel....(probably the only time that we'll ever say that! haha)  I also began trying to cook and collected a pretty large supply of delicious recipes, but the Betty Crocker phase didn't last long...haha 


July--- We enjoyed fireworks with friends, babysat for Karter, celebrated birthdays--including Cam's.. I surprised him with a video I borrowed of him singing and dancing at his high school prom (he had told me about it many times)... I also cut off most of my hair and donated it in honor of three amazing women who didn't have the choice to keep their beautiful locks..... Cameron also got a great job offer out of the blue and was hired within a few short hours of the interview.


August---- Cameron felt pretty puny for a few days before he got terribly sick just before a long planned family vacation... He had to stay home, and I ended up sick about an hour away from our apartment. I spent 24 hours feeling crummy before journeying down to meet the rest of the family. Cameron and I also got an opportunity to go boating, tubing, water skiing, and jet skiing.... we had a blast!  We also helped my parents throw my dad's family reunion, and build a 10x16 second story deck in 6 days.

September--- We got our wedding photos and fell in love with some of the most breathtaking images we've ever seen...I also started teaching a 8 week maternity leave and fell in love with yet another group of amazing preschoolers....

October--- The family threw Karter a *Cars themed birthday. Cameron began to have pain and numbness in his fingers that then lead to his whole arm. He began therapy and had many doctor's appointments.

November--- His appointments and therapy continued with little progress... We also went through a horrible emotional roller coaster that had my whole family longing for answers and at a complete loss.... Luckily, we took action and things are back to normal--if not better..... I also got a huge compliment from my boss that then lead into a job offer that I accepted and began. We spent a family day at a corn maze, and had an amazing Thanksgiving with my whole family.

December--- The lack of Cameron's progress and increasing pain lead to an MRI that revealed many issues in his upper spine. We had a scheduled appointment with a spine specialist just before Christmas, but it was rescheduled for January. (We are hoping for good news and treatment that relieves his pain quickly.) We kept Karter overnight again (which we LOVE!), celebrated Christmas with Cam's parents before they left for vacation, and had a great Christmas with my family... My grandma came home from the nursing home where she was staying for short-term therapy and my brother drove home from Colorado just in time for a white Christmas... Cameron woke up Christmas morning with a tooth ache from complications with a false tooth from childhood and will be having a root canal next week..boo...Also, I did get to put up my first Christmas tree, and we continue the desperate hunt for our own home... We did get some horrible news just after Christmas that left a loved one and our family heart broken and hoping for better things in 2011. .



This year has been difficult---emotionally.... We've had many close friends and family affected by horrible illnesses, nearly lost one of the most important people in our lives, and had many struggles in our own relationship....

Cameron and I are definitely learning the meaning of our vows.... "in sickness and in health" aren't just words.... they're real in our marriage.... Many people don't know this, but Cameron has a rare heart condition...He had surgery less than a year into our relationship to correct his aorta and takes daily medication to regulate the blood flow. The condition affects many parts of his body (bones, muscles, joints, etc) and causes his bones and muscles to connect abnormally, leaving them easily injured, pulled, popped out of place, dislocated, or broken. With all of these possibilities, injuries are a weekly thing in this house and can be stressing on a relationship...We also have found out that he has a non-cancerous tumor growing in his back that has left more than 10 doctors puzzled at its formation. Am I saying this for sympathy?!? No... I'm venting and sharing information more than anything...

I wish I could count the number of times that he's been injured, sick or just in pain and couldn't attend an event with me.... I'll be honest when I say that I'm the first to get angry when he tells me that he can't go, but then I think about how I would feel if I was expected to go places while I was in pain....Then I start to get mad at other people....First of all, no one knows what it's like to have this happen time and time again (for him and for me), but second of all, no one knows what it's like to hear the comments people make about him not feeling good, being sick so often, or even making up injuries/illness just so that he doesn't have to attend..... It makes me mad and breaks my heart all at the same time.... I just wish people would understand.....

Anyway.... as the doctor bills, chiropractor bills, dentist bills, hospital bills, and more continue to come in.... we're reminded of the "for richer or poorer" part of our vows.... Times get rough around here and emotions are put the test, but we try to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that God doesn't give a person more than they can handle....

We are hoping 2011 brings joy, happiness, peace, good health, and prosperity to our family as well as yours...

Christmas Flash Mob at School

How fun is this!! My boss (the principal) found a video of a choral flash mob in a mall food court, sent it to everyone suggesting we try something like it on the last day before break, and then asked me of I would choreograph something for all of the staff to do.... to which I said, "Of course!!!"  haha

Another teacher volunteered to help me so we spent an evening figuring out dance moves that everyone would be able to have some fun with, and then began staying after school a day or two a week for about 30 minutes to teach and practice with the other staff......

We had so much fun with this, and the kids had a blast this morning!!!

Here is the link to the original: Food Court Flash Mob Inspiration



Here is ours:

Back to Blogging...

To say the last month or so has been an emotional roller coaster for my family would be an understatement.... I won't go into detail, but I will say that this holiday season has made me grateful for medical staff who do their jobs because they enjoy it, allowing a very special person to be able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with us, which didn't seem possible just six weeks ago.

I had decided to push my blogging to the side temporarily because I've tried to keep my blog fun, insightful, inspirational---basically, I want it to be positive..... and a personal blog during the last month or so wouldn't have been... Anyway, things are now going great and we are all excited for Christmas....



In the last 2 months, Karter turned two and we threw a big "CARS" party for him! We borrowed lots of the decorations, but what we couldn't borrow, we made or bought for next to nothing...

We spent a very chilly day at the corn maze/ranch....

Karter was an adorable cow for Halloween..... complete with ear tag ;)

Evidently I didn't take any pictures during the month of November on my own camera....hmmm 

I bought and set up my very first Christmas tree.... My tree is very simple, but I really like it.... I bought tons of decorations because I wasn't sure what I wanted.... and I ended up going very simple, but elegant.... and I think I'm really happy with it....   I tried getting decent pictures, but it's very difficult!

 

Cam and I got dressed up for his company Christmas party.... 

It was great to finally meet the guys I hear about every day...  The food was delicious, 

people were friendly, and they gave away some really great things!

I accepted a job at the school where I student taught, subbed, and taught two maternity leaves.... I am now a Title I Kindergarten assistant.... I teach small groups, do remediation with individual students, and of course have recess duties.... The job is only 28 hours a week, but it's better money than subbing (which wasn't a reliable income). I really love what I'm doing and hope this leads into bigger and better things because, sadly, this job does only last through this school year, and then I'm back to square one :(

Cameron is loving his new job, and finally seeing appreciation for his sales qualities, and is getting a little back in return. The company is great about sales incentives and contests.... He loves it!

We still haven't had any luck on a house... We've got a few leads on some, but they may not be going on the market for a few more months (or a year or so---one couple wants to build, so it may take a while)..... We're getting antsy to get out of this apartment and finally have SPACE... We haven't even brought down our wedding gifts yet.... we don't see the point when we hope to be moving very soon.... We have some amazing new things, but they're all in storage until we have the room for them.... In the mean time, we're still living like college kids with cheap stuff and hand-me-downs.... O well I guess....


Now, we're just a few days away from Christmas....all of my shopping is *almost done... We're excited to have my brother home from Colorado for a few days, for Grandma to be moving back home, and to see what Karter thinks of all the excitement this year!



I have found that as I grow older, I try to stress less about the gifts, the wrapping, and so on.... and focus more on what's important.... I encourage you to do the same...

Winter is on its way.....

I may not be ready for the snow, ice and cold days.... but my car will be! This is your reminder to winterize your car before the temperature drops...

1. Check your tire pressure....Low tires can cause disaster.. Also, check the tire tread. If they are balding, get them replaced!

2. Check your fluids...Fill the washer fluid, check the viscosity and amount of antifreeze, and check or change the oil.

3. Inspect your windshield wipers... With the recent drought, they didn't get much use and might actually be damaged... Make sure they are working properly!

4. Learn how to change a spare tire!

5. Have your car serviced and fully checked. If you're like me, you don't know all the specifics of a car, so have a professional check your car out thoroughly. They can check your belts, battery, filters, and so on.

6. Fill your gas tank. My dad taught us to consider your tank's "half" mark as empty during the winter... Never let it drop below a half tank during the winter months!!

 

7. Make the emergency kit! (and know how to use everything in it!)  My family keeps the smaller items in a large coffee can. That way, the can is able to be heated over the candle to make drinking water if needed.

1. A flashlight, batteries, flares and a first-aid kit
2. Jumper cables
3. A blanket, warm clothes (extra pairs of socks are a must) and gloves
4. A bag of abrasive material, such as sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter. Use this for added traction when a tire is stuck. 
5. Paper towels (a great item to clean snow-caked headlights)
6. A snow brush, ice scraper and snow shovel
7. Extra washer fluid
8. Extra food and water that will stay good for a long period of time. Also, include hard candies to keep your mouth moist. You might also consider adding packets of hot chocolate.
9. Candle (jar candles are great) and matches -- used to keep warm if needed
10. A bright article of clothing or rag to bring attention to yourself if stranded (especially if you go off the road)
11. Cell phone charger for the car

 Know what to do if you DO get stranded: 

• Stay with your vehicle. Emergency crews can find your car a lot easier than they can find you alone. You will more easily avoid frostbite and hypothermia by staying in the car and out of the snow and wind.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna.
• Avoid exposure to the cold and overexertion when attempting to push the car or shovel heavy snowdrifts.
• Keep the doors unlocked.
• If the locks are frozen and you need to get inside, heat your key with a lighter. 
• Turn your hazard lights ON.
• If there are two or more people in the car, never sleep at the same time. You may miss an opportunity to be rescued.
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• Exercise your extremities such as arms, legs, feet and toes to maintain body heat and circulation.